Electric cigar lighter



April 19.63 .1. H. CONE ETAL 3,088,015

ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Filed April 14, 1960 Jay! 5 R 0 m m w.

Joseph H. BY Laure/me 6.1!0/w/ZZ United States Patent 3,088,015 ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Joseph H. Cone, Bridgeport, and Laurence G. Horwitt,

New Haven, Conn., assiguors to Casco Products Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Apr. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 22,332 4- Claims. (Cl. 219-32) The present invention relates to electric cigar lighters and more particularly to the type having a manually removable igniting plug which has an igniting coil that is electrically heated in a socket and removable therefrom for use to ignite tobacco.

The igniting plug includes a unitary assembly having at one end a cup into which the igniting coil is fixed to be usable and at the other end of the unitary assembly there is an insulating disk formed to have a threaded hole into which a threaded stud of a knob is positioned to thereby afiix the knob to the unitary assembly. The insulating disk and the cup are maintained fixed together but axially spaced by the insulating disk being attached to one end of a rigid elongate member and a ceramic spacer with the coil containing cup being secured to a ceramic spacer that is secured to the other end of the elongate member.

In order to enable the knob to be secured or removed from the insulating disk and hence the unitary assembly, it is necessary that there be relative rotation between the unitary assembly and the knob which requires that the assembly be held, either stationary or rotated, while the knob is reversely moved. However, since a sleeve encircles the periphery of the assembly and is mounted for movement thereon, both axially and rotatably with respect thereto, the only available portion of the unitary assembly which may be grasped is the cup and part of the spacer. This has caused difficulties in view of the cup not being securely fixed against rotation to the assembly and hence being rotated with respect thereto which distorts the igniting coil and causes axial misalignment of the cup with respect to the unitary assembly and hence with the socket when inserted therein, thereby affecting the operability of the lighter.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an igniting plug of the above type in which the knob may be attached to the unitary assembly without disturbing the relationship of the cup and coil even when the latter are grasped to facilitate the attachment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an igniting plug of an electric cigar lighter in which the cup and spacer are both secured to the rigid elongate member in a manner which self-centers these pieces and maintains them in alignment and against rotation.

A further object of the present invention is to achieve the above objects with a minimum of change in presently constructed igniting plugs and in an economical and dura-,

ble manner.

In carrying out the present invention in an electric cigar lighter, there is provided the unitary assembly above mentioned containing the insulating disk, an elongate member, the ceramic spacer and the cup containing the coil. One end of the elongate member is secured to the insulating disk while its other end is formed to have a recessed radial flange. The ceramic spacer has two faces, one abutting the radial flange and the other abutting the cup while securing means such as a rivet passes through the cup, spacer and flange. V

The abutting face of the spacer and the flange and the abutting faces of the spacer and cup are formed to have cooperating indentations and projections to thereby lock these parts against relative rotation. Moreover, when the parts are secured together, portions of the metallic cup and flange are distorted to cause the parts to be self-centhrough which the shank of a sleeve 37.

3,088,015 Patented Apr. 30, 1963 "ice tered with respect to each other. Thus the parts are not secured in alignment by the securing means but also prevented from relative rotation by the cooperation of the projections and indentations.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view, partly in section, of an electric cigar lighter with the plug being shown in its storage position in its socket.

FIG. 2 is a section taken axially through the plug.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the cup looking in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view of a face of the spacer taken in the direction of the arrows 44 in FIG. 2, that abuts the cup.

FIG. 5 is a view of the other face of the spacer taken looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5 in FIG. 2, that abuts the flange.

FIG. 6 is a view of the elongate member taken in the direction of the arrows 66 in FIG. 2,. showing the face of the radial flange.

Referring to the drawing, the electric cigar lighter of the present invention generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 includes a removable igniting plug 11 shown mounted in a socket 1-2, the latter being provided with a clamping sleeve 13 for clamping the socket in an aperture 14 formed in a wall .15 such as an automobile dashboard. The socket is provided with bimetallic fingers 16 which, in a manner well known in the art, contain and conduct electricity to the plug when in engagement thereto to heat the igniting coil and release the plug after the coil has reached a predetermined tobacco igniting temperature.

As shown in FIG. 2, there is provided a spirally wound igniting coil .17 positioned within a cup '18 with an insulating mica part 19 supported on the adjacent surface of the cup. The cup is provided with an axial aperture 20 rivet 21 passes, the rivet having a slot 22 in which is secured one end of the igniting coil .17, the other end being welded to the side of the cup. Abutting the back face 23 of the cup is a ceramic spacer 24 having the diametric section shown and also having an axial aperture 25 through which the shank of the rivet 21 passes.

The back face 23 of the cup abuts the adjacent radial face 26 of the spacer while another radial face 27 of the spacer abuts a recessed radial flange 28 formed by bending the end portion of a metallic rigid elongate member 29. The rivet is flattened, as at 30 and secures the cup, spacer and flange 28 together. The rigid tubular member has secured to its other end an insulating disk 31 as by lugs 32 being bent into grooves 33 formed in the disk.

The disk is provided with a threaded aperture 34 into material.

The igniting plug further includes a double sleeve which encircles the unitary assembly and is composed of an inner sleeve 37 and an outer sleeve 38 forming an ash guard which is axiall y movable with respect to the inner A spring 39 encircles the elongate member 29 bearing at one end against the disk 31 and its other end against an annular clip 40 to thereby enable the sleeves 37 and 38 to be relatively movable both axially and rotatably with respect to the assembly of the disk 31, elongate member 29, spacer 24 and cup 18. It will be clear that the amount of movement of the sleeves is sufiicient to cause the cup and a substantial portion of the spacer to project beyond the ends of the sleeves to enable the cup to be held by the bimetallic fingers and the unitary assembly to be grasped in order to secure the knob thereto. For a more detailed description of the 3 plug, reference is had to US. Patent No. 2,727,977, granted December 20, 1955, to L. E. Fenn,

In carrying out the present invention whereby securing or removal of the knob to the insulating plug by threading of the stud into the unitary assembly does not cause malfunctioning of the lighter even though the unitary assembly is held stationary by grasping or holding of the cup and spacer while the knob is being rotated relatively thereto, reference is had to FIG. 3 in which the face 23 of the cup 18 is formed with three axially spaced projections 41. These projections are shaped to it within indentations 42 formed in the face 26 of the spacer 24. In addition, the face 27 of the spacer 24 is formed with indentations 43 into which are set projections 44 formed on the flange 28 of the elongate member 29. While the projections and indentations may take any form desired, in the present embodiment of the invention it is specifically described. The projections are somewhat spherical While the indentations are frusto-conical. The spacer 24 is preferably made of ceramic molded to the shape shown and the indentations 42 and 43 may be easily molded therein when the spacer is molded. Moreover, the projections 41 and 44 may be easily formed in a stamping operation, and thus these projections and indentations require only a slight modification in presently manufactured cigar lighter parts.

It will be appreciated that there are a limited number of equally spaced projections 41 and 44 while there are parallel groupings of indentations 42 and 43. The center of the circle of the indentations 42 and 4-3 is at the axis of the axial aperture 25 formed in the spacer 24 while the projections 41 and '44 are equally spaced from the center of the axial aperture 20 in the cup and the aperture in the flange 28 respectively. This specific arrangement of projections and indentations has been found to facilitate assembly of the parts by the parts being easily placed and centered together in their desired positions, with the projections entering the indentations with very little relative rotation or other movement therebetween.

In carrying out the present invention, to positively aflix the cup, spacer and elongate member 29 in axial alignment, the head of the rivet 21 is formed to have a frustoconical surface 46 which when the end of the rivet is formed, forces the annular portion of the cup adjacent the opening 20 into the countersunk entrance 47 of the axial aperture 25 formed in the spacer 24. In addition the other entrance or opening of the aperture 25 is also countersunk as at 48 and While forming the head 30 of the rivet, lugs 49 defining the periphery of the opening 45 in radial flange 28 are forced into the countersunk portion 48 thereby causing self-centering of both the cup 18 with respect to the spacer 24 and the elongate member 29 with respect to the spacer, thus assuring the concentricity of these parts. The portions which are countersunk serve after the assembly to prevent radial shifting of the cup, spacer and elongate member with respect to each other.

It will be understood that the face 23 of the cup and the face 26 of the spacer are flat and radial as are the faces 28 and 27 thereby providing firm support for these parts. In addition, as shown, the spacer only contacts the elongate member 29 with its surface 27 since there is clearance between the side of the spacer and the adjacent inner side of the elongate member.

The present invention has been described with respect to an igniting plug which includes its own ejecting spring 39. However, it will be appreciated that the invention as hereinafter claimed may be employed whereby the ejection spring is positioned in the socket and where only a single movable sleeve is used.

It will accordingly be appreciated that the invention heretofore disclosed in the igniting plug of the electric cigar lighter provides for a unitary assembly to which the knob is attached, in which all pieces of the assembly 4 are locked against relative rotation. Moreover, according to the present invention the parts of the assembly are economically caused to be self-centered during the fabrication of the assembly and this self-centering caused by the deforming during the fabrication of the cup and flange prevents lateral movement of the parts.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used Without others.

We claim:

1. An igniting plug for an electrical cigar lighter adapted to be energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use comprising a unitary assembly including an elongate tubular member, a disk fixed on one end portion of said tubular member, a ceramic spacer positioned at the other end portion of said member and having an axial aperture, a sheet metal cup containing an igniting coil positioned against the spacer and having an axial aperture, a rivet passing through the apertures in the spacer and cup to secure the spacer and cup to the member, the entrance of the axial aperture in the spacer adjacent the cup being countersunk and the rivet having a tapered head axially aligning the cup with the spacer by forcing the annular portion of the cup defining its axial aperture into the countersunk entrance, said spacer, cup and member having cooperating interlocking means for preventing relative rotation therebetween when secured together; a sleeve encircling the unitary assembly and movable axially and rotatable relative thereto; and a knob secured to said disk.

2. An igniting plug for an electric cigar lighter adapted to be energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use comprising a unitary assembly including an elongate member, a plug fixed on One end portion of said member, a spacer positioned at the other end portion of said member, a cup containing an igniting coil positioned against the spacer, means securing the spacer and cup to the member, said spacer and cup having abutting faces; and interlocking means for preventing relative rotation between the spacer and cup comprising projections formed on one face and indentations formed on the other into which the projections are fittable.

3. An igniting plug for an electric cigar lighter adapted to be energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use comprising a unitary assembly including an elongate member, a disk fixed on one end portion of said member, a spacer positioned at the other end portion of said member, a cup containing an igniting coil positioned against the spacer, means securing the spacer and cup to the member, said spacer and member having abutting faces; and interlocking means for preventing relative rotation between the elongate member and the spacer comprising projections formed on one face and indentations formed on the other face into which the projections are fittabl e.

4. An igniting plug for an electric cigar lighter adapted to be energized in a socket and removed therefrom for use comprising a unitary assembly including an elongate member, a plug fixed on one end portion of said member, a spacer positioned at the other end portion of said memher, a cup containing an igniting coil positioned against the spacer, means securing the spacer and cup to the member, said spacer and cup having abutting faces; interlocking means for preventing relative rotation be- .tween them including projections formed on one face and indentations formed on the other into which the projections are fittable, said elongate member and the spacer having abutting faces; and interlocking means for preventing relative rotation between the elongate member and the spacer comprising projections formed on one face and indentations formed on the other face into which the projections are fittable, there being three equispaced pro jections on the faces having projections and more than three indentations on the faces having the indentations.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Penn Dec. 20, 1955 May Nov. 5, 1957 Barnard Jan. 27, 1959 Ashton et a1. July 14, 1959 Penn Nov. 8, 1960 

1. AN IGNITING PLUG FOR AN ELECTRICAL CIGAR LIGHTER ADAPTED TO BE ENERGIZED IN A SOCKET AND REMOVED THEREFROM FOR USE COMPRISING A UNITARY ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELONGATE TUBULAR MEMBER, A DISK FIXED ON ONE END PORTION OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER, A CERAMIC SPACER POSITIONED AT THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID MEMBER AND HAVING AN AXIAL APERTURE, A SHEET METAL CUP CONTAINING AN IGNITING COIL POSITIONED AGAINST THE SPACER AND HAVING AN AXIAL APERTURE, A RIVET PASSING THROUGH THE APERTURES IN THE SPACER AND CUP TO SECURE THE SPACER AND CUP TO THE MEMBER, THE ENTRANCE OF THE AXIAL APERTURE IN THE SPACER ADJACENT THE CUP BEING COUNTERSUNK AND THE RIVET HAVING A TAPERED HEAD AXIALLY ALIGNING THE CUP WITH THE SPACER BY FORCING THE ANNULAR PORTION OF THE CUP DEFINING ITS AXIAL APERTURE INTO THE COUNTERSUNK ENTRANCE, SAID SPACER, CUP AND MEMBER HAVING COOPERATING INTERLOCKING MEANS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN WHEN SECURED TOGETHER; A SLEEVE ENCIRCLING THE UNITARY ASSEMBLY AND MOVABLE AXIALLY AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE THERETO; AND A KNOB SECURED TO SAID DISK. 